The open-source disruptor vs the established champion. Can a free model really compete with GPT-4o?
| Feature | DeepSeek | ChatGPT |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free / API $0.14/M tokens Winner | Free / Plus $20/mo |
| Coding | Excellent Winner | Very good |
| Math/Logic | Exceptional Winner | Very good |
| Creative Writing | Adequate | Excellent Winner |
| Image Generation | Not available | DALL-E 3 built in Winner |
| Web Browsing | Limited | Full browsing Winner |
| Open Source | Yes — self-hostable Winner | No |
| Plugin Ecosystem | None | GPT Store, plugins Winner |
| Data Privacy | Concerns (China-based) | US-based, standard Winner |
| Speed | Fast | Fast |
DeepSeek wins on price and technical tasks (math, coding, logic). ChatGPT wins on features, ecosystem, creative writing, and data trust. Use DeepSeek for coding and technical work; use ChatGPT for everything else.